Ivan Toney is expected to leave Brentford over the summer and has been linked with a move to Manchester United, but his wage demands could cause a problem
Ivan Toney's alleged wage demands to join Manchester United could potentially ruffle the feathers of club captain Bruno Fernandes.
It's been suggested Toney is seeking a salary that would surpass that of United's skipper. Brentford and England frontman Toney is widely expected to part ways with his current club in the summer transfer window, reported The Mirror.
The 28-year-old has previously been linked with a move to Arsenal and Chelsea, but United have rarely been far from the rumour mill. He's netted four goals in 13 club appearances since returning from a betting ban in January, having bagged 20 times in the Premier League last term.
The ex-Newcastle player also scored his first senior goal for England in March, converting a penalty in the 2-2 draw against Belgium. Despite Brentford's safe distance from the relegation zone, Toney is still expected to exit the Gtech Community Stadium come the summer.
United had shown interest in signing a striker in January, but financial constraints hindered their plans. While Toney might be the right fit for manager Erik ten Hag, his purported demands could cause friction with top earner Fernandes.
As per The Sun, Toney is reportedly demanding £250,000 per week, which equates to £13m a year. It's understood that's £10,000 more than Fernandes earns per week, a factor that could also obstruct a new contract at Brentford for Toney, via the Mirror.
Despite being the captain, Fernandes isn't the top earner at Old Trafford. That title belongs to Casemiro (£350,000 per week), while Raphael Varane, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who's currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, each £290,000 a week or more.
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Mason Mount and Anthony Martial are also each on £250,000 per week, though Martial is expected to leave in the summer.
Varane might also be leaving, as no new contract agreement has been reached yet. If both French internationals leave, it would significantly reduce United's weekly wage bill.
Toney netted four goals in his first five league games of the season, including a free-kick against Nottingham Forest in his first match back. However, it's been two months since he last scored, and some Bees fans were upset by his comments before their March match against Burnley.
When asked about his ideal end to the season, he said: "I'm in the mix for the Euros and then we win the Euros. Let things fall into place. If Brentford were to sell me, they'd make their money, I move to Madrid and it's all good."
Thomas Frank's team lost to Burnley that weekend but have since gone unbeaten in four matches to ease their relegation concerns. The first of those matches was against Unietd, where Kristoffer Ajer scored a stoppage-time equaliser.
Meanwhile, Toney was on the bench for Saturday's 2-0 win over Sheffield United. A win over Luton on Saturday could propel the Bees 10 points clear of relegation, virtually guaranteeing another season in the Premier League, while United are uncertain to qualify for Europe next term.